For You
by MidnightGenius
Summary: Sequal to Dying to Live
1. Chapter 1

"Hokage-sama, my presence is helping him more than anyone else, and I don't want to leave him. Just make it a mission so that I can stay by his side."

Tsunade sighed, relented, and watched as Neji bowed and left her office. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Sakura walked in and asked what was wrong that she even noticed she was brooding.

"It appears our Naruto has a suitor."

"Neji?"

"Yeah"

"Hmm…"

"What?"  
" I was just wondering why we didn't think of it before. It's almost perfect."

"How so?"

"You weren't here before, so you didn't know Neji back then, but he was different, very different. Before Naruto, Neji was bitter, cold. He firmly believed that destiny could not be changed, a 'dropout will always be a dropout' in his words. Naruto changed all that. Naruto fixed him. That's his power, Neji's different now."

"Very" Tsunade agreed.

* * *

Naruto-kun!" 

Naruto looked up from studying the ground and smiled at the approaching figure of Neji before running into his arms. He loved it when Neji held him; he felt so safe, so loved.

"Hush Naruto, it's alright." It was not until that moment, when Neji spoke softly in his ear, that Naruto realized he was crying.

"S-sorry Neji"

"It's alright, I don't mind, really."

"Neji, I've just realized something." Naruto nuzzled into his neck.

"What's that?"

"I think I love you."

"Neji tightened his arms around Naruto and whispered in his ear "Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

Neji had discovered something. What bothered him was that the thing he had discovered was something he really ought to have known.

Neji had discovered that Naruto was a very clingy person. Very.

This created minor issues for Neji, as he was definitely neither clingy nor highly affectionate.

He was quite willing to be clung to when they were alone in Naruto's apartment, but rather hesitant when out and among other people.

It scared him.

Naruto didn't seem to mind, though, and Neji wasn't about to take away something that made the blonde happy.

So, he didn't complain when Naruto fell asleep on him, or clung to him. He didn't speak a word of protest when Naruto kissed him. And Naruto didn't seem to want anything more, so Neji was alright. Content to hold him and keep him safe. From others and himself.

There was one thing that Neji, no matter what effort he made, could do nothing to protect him against. Nightmares. And he had so many.

That scared Neji, too.

It terrified him to have Naruto whimpering and shaking in his arms and nothing he could do but touch him and whisper words of comfort.

He was reminded, then, of his conversation with Gaara, about that Naruto had said was his reason for all of it.

That was what scared Neji the most.

It worried him that Naruto would take the words of fools so seriously.

He was scared that it would continue, even though those fools were now far in the minority.

Naruto scared Neji.

Naruto wasn't 'safe'

Neji wasn't sure he cared.

But then, he wasn't sure he didn't either.

Naruto was sleeping on him again. Neji didn't mind, they were completely alone, but what really made him give in every time was the look on Naruto's face, and in his eyes. His face was so peaceful when he slept in Neji's arms, his eyes were so joyful when he was held in Neji's embrace. It was nearly enough to make Neji cry because his heart constricted every time. But Neji didn't cry, Neji never cried. Neither did Naruto, not since that one time, outside the Hokage's office.

To him, Neji was _safe_, Neji was home, and Neji was a fortress around him. Neji was warmth and Neji was light. Neji was everything, Neji was life. Neji was what kept him from thinking about things he shouldn't, Neji kept him sane. He had few doubts that Neji knew the depths of his dependency, even though he had never told him.

Naruto's favourite part of Neji's body was his eyes. They were bottomless and impure. He could stare into those eyes forever, and never find the _something_ he knew was there. He loved looking at Neji's eyes, and then snuggling into his neck, because it was _safe_ there.

Neji was always _safe_.

Neji was kind and gentle and _safe_.

And Naruto needed safe, because he wasn't, and Sasuke hadn't been.

And Gaara was scary sometimes.

But Neji was _safe_.

And it felt so good to be near him, to kiss him.

Even if it scared Neji.

Naruto knew everything that scared Neji; though that was one thing he doubted Neji knew.

Naruto knew a lot more than people thought he did.

Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn't a genius like Itachi, Neji, or Shikamaru, but was much more like Lee, because he worked his ass off to get there.

Naruto knew that Jiraya thought he looked just like the Fourth Hokage, and acted like him.

He also knew that Jiraya believed himself to know why.

And that Tsunade agreed with him.

Naruto had his guesses, but had never shared them with anyone.

Naruto had decided long ago that intelligence was a curse. Because intelligent people are almost never ignorant, and sometimes ignorance is better.

Intelligent people understood things that others couldn't, make connections that other people wouldn't.

So Naruto felt bad for Sakura, because she was a genius, too.


End file.
